DCC Sound Speakers, Ultimate Test And Comparison!

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Let me know your favourite speaker in the comments. Subscribe to see other similar videos!

[@ChapelEndJunctionUK]

Great video Richard showing the different speakers , nice set up for demonstrations .......Peter

[@JamesCleevely]

I am very happy with the Megabass speaker, I have one in my O gauge 08 with TTS sound and it transformed the sound. It has made it an addictive pleasure to use! This has also shown that not all speakers work well for every sound. Like anything in life, it is about using the right tool for the job

[@edwardbarnes2702]

Hi Richard, new subscriber, thanks for this great set up /comparison, as fairy new to sound Locos you’re given me great input. Eddie🤓

[@HillcotMR]

Cool set up for testing! Thanks for sharing. Subbed!

[@paulm3965]

Excellent test by far, Answers many questions very informative. I met charlie at Milton Keynes, he knows his stuff he is a good egg.

[@eveannwallis4939]

Hi these speaker comparison videos are invaluable for choosing a speaker. There are some amazing differences. I have used two square megabass speakers in my 0 gauge Western, and it sounds amazing. Going to do similar with my 0 gauge Warship in the next couple of days. It's worthwhile painting black the chrome speaker diaphragm, which otherwise can be seen inside the models from the engine room windows..........I always use Zimo decoders in preference to ESU. Cheers, Eve

[@timsytanker]

Excellent video and demonstration!

[@Noblelox]

Great demonstration, I'd love this to be a live event so we can message to say Go from the iPhone to the EM2 to compare them back to back ;-)

[@adrianolsen-woodhamwoodtur4980]

Excellent video, Richard. Great content and a surprising outcome…..many thanks

[@roadsandrails]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Synthematix]

Everyone should watch this if they like dcc sound, excellent video mate

[@dougjuk]

Great video, I have standardised my fleet on the Dumbo's both single and double, in a house they sound ok much better than the standard. We have fitted the larger dumbo's in the tanks of the 37. I have used the larger single dumbo's on my 25's and they sound good. The Hymek sounds good with two single dumbos as does the DMU's.

[@cravensdmufan4449]

Thanks for posting these comparisons Richard. Very informative. Well, I like the iPhone speaker and the sugar cube speaker! I model 4mm and have a small layout room. I like the quieter speakers; I've found that some of the speakers I have previously tried give too much bass - great if you model O gauge - but personally I like to hear the higher frequencies at lower volumes! An order for iPhones and sugar cubes will be on it's way to you shortly!

[@roadsandrails]

Thanks Vivian, I have other small speakers in my own range but as this is for Charlie I left them off! I have your order and will send them tomorrow. Richard

[@OxrecsDIGITAL]

Good sensible test. Well done. However it would be useful if you would please list the names of each loudspeaker above, otherwise one has to search through the video in realtime picking out the names from the soundtrack!

[@alecwillis1073]

Was thinking the same. List would be v handy

[@taffboyslim]

I've played in guitar bands all my adult life and I have learned that volume is nothing without quality. I am looking to get back into modelling next year and taking my first steps into DCC and sound. From this really helpful video and others I have seen on KZbin, I am going to look at iphone/sugarcube speakers. Hearing the sugarcube has even made me consider N gauge but I am probably going to go for OO (possibly EM if I am feeling brave).

[@philbartlett7898]

Very interesting demonstration. Thanks very much. From that I am thinking the iphone speaker might be the most versatile for installation

[@ebeirne1]

This video is very useful, thanks. I was surprised how good the iPhone speaker was compared to the others, don’t forget it’s not just the bass you need to be interested in.

[@roadsandrails]

Eugene Beirne I agree, the detail of the iPhone speakers is very important too

[@paulkandi]

Most of my fleet is fitted with iPhone speakers and when installed in the loco body, the volume is doubled and have to turn down 2 stages..

[@canalsidingsmodelrailway3411]

Hi Richard, Only just found your channel after reading the information you sent with my latest order for Megabass speakers. The speaker comparison certainly popped up a couple of surprises for me. Apart from the obvious in that bigger is often better and an open speaker is useless the most surprising was how well the megabase fared against the EM2. I heve only previously heard the EM2 in a Deltic and it is pretty convincing. But it sounded very short of high frequencies with the Class 37 sound file and in that case the megabass was better. I can see why you use a sugar cube with an EM2 but that ony works if you have a decoder that can handle 4 Ohms. Nowadays I use a lot of TTS decoders as you can't beat them for value for money even though their motor control is crap! I add a LaisDCC decoder to them and still get a budget solution. I think for these an EM2 is a non starter but the megabase is really good. I have also had some success using your sugar cube speakers in a bespoke plasticard enclosure where there is little space in a loco and that is a very cost effective solution. Now a question. You sypply the megabass speaker without enclosure. Will this work without adding an enclosure? From the pictures it looks to be completely sealed across the back already. Regards John Tothill

[@roadsandrails]

Canal Sidings Model Railway hi John, I agree on the em2, it sounds good in some models but not all. The Deltic is probably the best use for it so far. Although with a sugarcube, as well it sounds excellent in many locos but it’s actually less than 3 ohms with a sugarcube in parallel which is less than recommended for even loksound and Zimo. The megabass sounds good, I have used them a lot with TTS decoders as well as using 2 in some locos with more space when using a loksound decoder. The megabass without enclosures has some small slots which you can block off with blutack and it sounds fine, maybe 80% as good as it sounds with an enclosure. Useful if it’s too big with it Richard

[@paulm3965]

Having watched your video this is a first class report,very educational. I have spoken to Caroline to-day from SWD. I have been informed that ESU have just released a new sugar cube kit suitable for small 20mm enclosure ie. Bachmann class 450

[@roadsandrails]

paul m they have yes and I believe they might also be doing a sugarcube speaker with some bigger enclosures to rival the zimo dumbo, still won’t compare too well to the bigger speakers in the test but could be useful in tight spaces. Richard

[@DungeWoodRailway]

Hi Richard Great video and some interesting results. Im finding the larger of your iphone speakers very good, Im not so interested in volume, more sound quality overaĺl and it is such a good sound. See my last vid with 46, its great. Im hoping to upgrade alot of my V4 fitted locos with this. Can you suggest something suitable for the older V3.5 chips. Cheers Paul

[@roadsandrails]

Dunge Wood Model Railway I’ll take a look at your 46. I don’t have any for the 3.5 but the best you will get are like the bass reflex speakers which don’t perform particularly well in this test. Those are the best speakers I’ve seen with a 100 ohm option. Richard

[@Alexander_Sth]

Hello! Did something change for the past few years? Which couple of speakers are the best for 2023 for H0 electric locomotive?

[@danbails9887]

Very creative solution for picking speakers. It would help if you would point to or mark which speaker is playing and post a list of names or model numbers so we know where ti find them for ourselves. Thanks!

[@waldenhouse]

Great demo. I often think, we’re 4mm scale replicating 12 inches to the foot sounds! I wonder what it sounds like to a spider?!

[@paulkandi]

The 9th speaker I fitted into a Hornby TTS class 47, the loudest and best of the lot, you have to remove the mounting brackets and black tak into the body , under the roof fans...the iPhone speakers are also very good and have most of my loco fleet fitted with these, cheapest too...

[@andyhinds542]

This is a brilliant test, but the only issue I have is that will all of these speakers actually fit into a Bachmann class 37? I don't want to buy the best speaker for the job and find that they are too big to fit comfortably inside the body.

[@ChadwickModelRailway]

Hi Richard, What great comparison video. It makes me take a new look at many of my sound locos. To start the ball rolling, what would you suggest for my Bachmann 37, with a LS4. I’d rather not carry out extensive work to get the speaker into the fuel tanks. Clearly the 20mm x 40mm will not fit even with the fan assembly removed. Regards Charlie

[@roadsandrails]

Chadwick Model Railway hi, thanks, what sound decoder is in there? My favourite of the easy to install speaker for the 37 is probably the double iPhone speaker. If you look at my other video there’s one of a class 37 in Railfreight with that speaker in it using legomanbiffo sound

[@ChadwickModelRailway]

Hi Richard, it has a loc sound 4 with a Legomanbiffo sound file. Regards Charlie

[@ChadwickModelRailway]

So Richard, how do I purchase a couple from you? Regards Charlie

[@roadsandrails]

You can find the ones that fit the 37 here: roads-and-rails.co.uk/store/p89/Double_iPhone_Speaker_For_Bachmann_Models.html

[@JamesBondsSkyline]

Out of curiosity, will you be with Legomanbiffo at the St Andrews show this weekend?

[@roadsandrails]

Bondy Productions I won’t no, I’ll be at Leeds and Warley. I’m not sure about any others yet. Richard

[@howarth004]

Em2 is the better in my mind , are you working with Charlie now ? ... or are you fitting these independently ? The 37 with em2 could be an interesting conversion for a few of us ...

[@roadsandrails]

It's very good with the right model. Its also very good if you pair it with a sugar cube or similar which I will show in another video soon. I do a lot of work with him an Ian but I'm still independent. I still have a 37 to for myself just to check the work involved. Just had a lot of other jobs that I've had to do first. Richard

[@howarth004]

roadsandrails 👍🏼 shall have to wait and see and hear your completed Model with the 2 of them ... Dave

[@timhuggins1993]

David Howarth hi David don't wish to be rude butting in but I have the class 37 fitted with EM2 and legomanbiffo sound on my channel . I know you commented on mine other bids before so I thought I just update you ? Thanks Dave nice layout you got ! 😁

[@SammoKarm]

How did you decide on the correct polarity with regards the Iphone speaker? Or doesn't it matter, I know years ago it mattered as it gave a better base when connected correctly.

[@roadsandrails]

Sam Barr only matters if you are using 2 speakers, if it’s two iPhone then you need to connect then the same

[@markmcshane9653]

Megabass, iphone and enclosed 40x20 sounded really good. The 33 tank enclosed alos great but as you say, it has limited applications.

[@cravensdmufan4449]

I purchased one of those fuel tank speakers from DC Kits for my Heljan 26. Sound was OK but it sat so low it was touching the rails!

[@roadsandrails]

I have used the D.C. kits enclosure quite a few times but with my own speaker and haven’t had any problems. That’s one of the speakers in the test that surprised me, it’s only slightly bigger than the 20x40 but the sound is in a different league. Richard

[@rawaer1]

Super!!!! sehr gute Darstellung und vergleich der einzelnen Lautsprecher ,du hast dir sehr große Mühe gegeben , vielen Dank dafür 👍👍👍👍👍 , ja man sollte sich die Mühe machen den gröst möglichen Platz für einen Lautsprecher in der Lok zu schaffen , sonst lohnt sich ein Einbau nicht und es klingt hinterher nicht so wie erwartet, mfG Rainer aus Erfurt

[@barrysumsion1339]

This is OK to hear differences in the basic speakers but their position and enclosure within the loco will often impart even different variations than you may expect after hearing them as simple mounted speakers as this.

[@roadsandrails]

Yes and no, most of these speakers are sealed units, so already have their own enclosures, some of them may sound marginally better facing down as used to be the case with the bass reflex speakers in fuel tanks, but as thats now one of the weaker speakers, something like a megabass speaker or an EM2 is going to sound far better wherever it is positioned. It used to be a case of facing down gave better bass and facing up sounded clear but I really dont think it makes much difference anymore. Richard

[@mrmister0484]

why are decoders so expensive if technology is getting better?

[@firvedamodels]

Boa noite. Existe um alto falante pequeno e potente, que sao os autofalantes de Nextel. Sistema de telefonia móvel via rádio Segue o link. Todos os meus modelos apliquei o mesmo Foi um sucesso.

[@pen-gos7321]

Interesting to listen to, but remember that the sounds are only as good as the equipment that you are using to watch/listen, so they will sound different in 'real life'. That said I thought the EM was in a can of baked beans, while the iPhone was pretty good.

[@roadsandrails]

Hi, I agree, hopefully it helps compare them though and show how the different speakers sound relative to each other, you should still hear a difference whatever you watch it on. The Em1's and EM2's sound better in a model I think. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXKQl4GKjdF-kMU

[@Synthematix]

And none of these are any use for N gauge trains really, the earth mover speaker is a terrible design because it has a passive radiator, these radiators run out of phase with the woofer actually hurts the sound quality, best one here is the zimo

[@roadsandrails]

N Gauge England -Synthematix- the sugarcube fits in N gauge but you are right, there is very little choice for N gauge. And yeah I see what you mean about the em2, it’s not the clearest sound, but it’s also the only speaker that can shake the baseboard when it’s fitted in a model! It really is effective where you need a lot of bass in things like deltics.